County of Zeeland
Encyclopedia
The County of Zeeland was a county of the Holy Roman Empire
in what is now the Netherlands
. It covered an area in the Scheldt
and Meuse delta roughly corresponding to the current Dutch province of Zeeland
, though it did not include the region of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen which was part of Flanders
.
, the County of Hainaut
and the County of Flanders
. In 1012 Emperor Henry II the Saint
enfeoffed the French
count Baldwin IV of Flanders
with Zeeland after which both counties were ruled in personal union
, contested by northern Holland from the beginning. In 1167 a war broke out between both counties, after which Count Floris III of Holland
had to acknowledge the overlordship of Count Philip of Flanders
in Zeeland. Count Floris IV of Holland
(1222-1234) reconquered Zeeland, which from the accession of Count Floris V
, the son of William II of Holland, in 1256 was ruled in personal union by Holland.
By the 1323 Treaty of Paris
between Flanders and Hainaut-Holland, the Count of Flanders reneged from claims on Zeeland and recognized the count of Holland as Count of Zeeland. Nevertheless, Zeeland remained a separate administrative unit, which in turn was under the administration of the counts of Holland. In 1432 it was annexed by the Burgundian
duke Philip the Good and became part of the Burgundian Netherlands
. After the death of Mary of Burgundy
in 1482, Zeeland according to the Treaty of Senlis
was one of the Seventeen Provinces
held by the House of Habsburg, which in 1512 joined the Burgundian Circle
.
After the Eighty Years' War, Zeeland was one of the United Provinces of the Dutch Republic
established in 1581. Both before and after Dutch independence Zeeland shared some institutions with the States of Holland and West Friesland, such as the supreme court, the Supreme Council of Holland, Zeeland and West-Friesland, after the northern provinces had removed themselves from imperial authority and the jurisdiction of the Grand Council of Mechelen.
After establishment of the States-General of the Netherlands
in 1583, Middelburg
initially became the place of assembly. From 1585 on they were held in The Hague
. As a (theoretically) independent (part)state the county Zealand ceased to exist under the Batavian Republic
in 1795, when it became a département. Together with Zeeuws-Vlaanderen it today forms the province of Zeeland.
Small Towns (no seat in the States of Zeeland):
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
in what is now the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. It covered an area in the Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
and Meuse delta roughly corresponding to the current Dutch province of Zeeland
Zeeland
Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...
, though it did not include the region of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen which was part of Flanders
County of Flanders
The County of Flanders was one of the territories constituting the Low Countries. The county existed from 862 to 1795. It was one of the original secular fiefs of France and for centuries was one of the most affluent regions in Europe....
.
History
The area has always been the prey of its stronger neighbors, the County of HollandCounty of Holland
The County of Holland was a county in the Holy Roman Empire and from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands in what is now the Netherlands. It covered an area roughly corresponding to the current Dutch provinces of North-Holland and South-Holland, as well as the islands of Terschelling, Vlieland,...
, the County of Hainaut
County of Hainaut
The County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries with its capital at Mons . In English sources it is often given the archaic spelling Hainault....
and the County of Flanders
County of Flanders
The County of Flanders was one of the territories constituting the Low Countries. The county existed from 862 to 1795. It was one of the original secular fiefs of France and for centuries was one of the most affluent regions in Europe....
. In 1012 Emperor Henry II the Saint
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
enfeoffed the French
France in the Middle Ages
France in the Middle Ages covers an area roughly corresponding to modern day France, from the death of Louis the Pious in 840 to the middle of the 15th century...
count Baldwin IV of Flanders
Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders
Baldwin IV of Flanders , known as the Bearded, was Count of Flanders from 988 until his death. He was the son of Arnulf II, Count of Flanders...
with Zeeland after which both counties were ruled in personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
, contested by northern Holland from the beginning. In 1167 a war broke out between both counties, after which Count Floris III of Holland
Floris III, Count of Holland
Floris III of Holland , Count of Holland from 1157 to 1190. He was a son of Dirk VI and Sophie of Luxemburg, heiress of Bentheim.-Life:...
had to acknowledge the overlordship of Count Philip of Flanders
Philip, Count of Flanders
Philip of Alsace was count of Flanders from 1168 to 1191. He succeeded his father Thierry of Alsace.-Count of Flanders:...
in Zeeland. Count Floris IV of Holland
Floris IV, Count of Holland
Floris IV , Count of Holland from 1222 to 1234. He was a son of William I of Holland and Adelaide of Geldern....
(1222-1234) reconquered Zeeland, which from the accession of Count Floris V
Floris V, Count of Holland
Count Floris V of Holland and Zeeland , "der Keerlen God" , is one of the most important figures of the first, native dynasty of Holland . His life was documented in detail in the Rijmkroniek by Melis Stoke, his chronicler...
, the son of William II of Holland, in 1256 was ruled in personal union by Holland.
By the 1323 Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1323)
The Treaty of Paris was signed on March 6, 1323. Count Louis I of Flanders relinquished Flemish claims over the County of Zeeland and also acknowledged the Count of Holland as the Count of Zeeland....
between Flanders and Hainaut-Holland, the Count of Flanders reneged from claims on Zeeland and recognized the count of Holland as Count of Zeeland. Nevertheless, Zeeland remained a separate administrative unit, which in turn was under the administration of the counts of Holland. In 1432 it was annexed by the Burgundian
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
duke Philip the Good and became part of the Burgundian Netherlands
Burgundian Netherlands
In the history of the Low Countries, the Burgundian Netherlands refers to a number of Imperial and French fiefs ruled in personal union by the House of Valois-Burgundy and their Habsburg heirs in the period from 1384 to 1482...
. After the death of Mary of Burgundy
Mary of Burgundy
Mary of Burgundy ruled the Burgundian territories in Low Countries and was suo jure Duchess of Burgundy from 1477 until her death...
in 1482, Zeeland according to the Treaty of Senlis
Treaty of Senlis
The Treaty of Senlis concerning the Burgundian succession was signed at Senlis, Oise in May of 1493 between Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and King Charles VIII of France....
was one of the Seventeen Provinces
Seventeen Provinces
The Seventeen Provinces were a personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 15th century and 16th century, roughly covering the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, a good part of the North of France , and a small part of Western Germany.The Seventeen Provinces were originally held by...
held by the House of Habsburg, which in 1512 joined the Burgundian Circle
Burgundian Circle
The Burgundian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire created in 1512 and significantly enlarged in 1548. In addition to the Free County of Burgundy , the circle roughly covered the Low Countries, i.e...
.
After the Eighty Years' War, Zeeland was one of the United Provinces of the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
established in 1581. Both before and after Dutch independence Zeeland shared some institutions with the States of Holland and West Friesland, such as the supreme court, the Supreme Council of Holland, Zeeland and West-Friesland, after the northern provinces had removed themselves from imperial authority and the jurisdiction of the Grand Council of Mechelen.
After establishment of the States-General of the Netherlands
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
in 1583, Middelburg
Middelburg
Middelburg is a municipality and a city in the south-western Netherlands and the capital of the province of Zeeland. It is situated in the Midden-Zeeland region. It has a population of about 48,000.- History of Middelburg :...
initially became the place of assembly. From 1585 on they were held in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. As a (theoretically) independent (part)state the county Zealand ceased to exist under the Batavian Republic
Batavian Republic
The Batavian Republic was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on January 19, 1795, and ended on June 5, 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the throne of the Kingdom of Holland....
in 1795, when it became a département. Together with Zeeuws-Vlaanderen it today forms the province of Zeeland.
Counts of Zeeland
| Counts of Flanders Count of Flanders The Count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French revolutionaries in 1790.... |
1012 - 1167 | |
| Condominium Condominium (international law) In international law, a condominium is a political territory in or over which two or more sovereign powers formally agree to share equally dominium and exercise their rights jointly, without dividing it up into 'national' zones.Although a condominium has always been... of the Counts of Flanders and Holland |
1167 - 1256 | |
| Counts of Holland and Zeeland Count of Holland The Counts of Holland ruled over the County of Holland in the Low Countries between the 10th and the 16th century.-House of Holland:The first count of Holland, Dirk I, was the son or foster-son of Gerolf, Count in Frisia... |
1256 - 1572 | |
| Estates of Zeeland | 1572 - 1795 |
Cities in the County of Zeeland
Voting cities, in order of importance:- MiddelburgMiddelburgMiddelburg is a municipality and a city in the south-western Netherlands and the capital of the province of Zeeland. It is situated in the Midden-Zeeland region. It has a population of about 48,000.- History of Middelburg :...
(1217) - ZierikzeeZierikzeeZierikzee is a small city, located on the former island of Schouwen in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, and lies about 26 km southwest of Hellevoetsluis....
(1248) - ReimerswaalReimerswaal (city)Reimerswaal is a lost city in the Netherlands.The present-day municipality of Reimerswaal is named after this city, which was granted city rights in 1374. The city was destroyed by repeated floods, and the last citizens left in 1632. Nothing remains...
(1374)until 1574 voting in the States of Zeeland, - GoesGoesGoes is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands in Zuid-Beveland, in the province Zeeland. The city of Goes has approximately 27,000 residents.-History of Goes:...
(1405) - TholenTholenTholen is a municipality in the southwest of the Netherlands. The municipality of Tholen has lent its name from the town of Tholen, which is the largest population center in the municipality....
(1366) - Vlissingen (1315) voting in the States of Zeeland from 1574 on
- VeereVeereVeere is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands, on Walcheren island in the province of Zeeland.-Population centres :Aagtekerke , Biggekerke , Domburg , Gapinge , Grijpskerke , Koudekerke , Meliskerke , Oostkapelle , Serooskerke , Veere , Vrouwenpolder , Westkapelle...
(1355) voting in the States of Zeeland from 1574 on
Small Towns (no seat in the States of Zeeland):
- ArnemuidenArnemuidenArnemuiden is a small city of around 5000 people in the municipality of Middelburg in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands. It is located on the former island of Walcheren, about 3 km east of the city of Middelburg.It received city rights in 1574....
(1574) - BrouwershavenBrouwershavenBrouwershaven is a small city on the Grevelingen in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, and lies about 45 km southwest of Hellevoetsluis.Brouwershaven received city rights in 1477....
(1477) - DomburgDomburgDomburg is a seaside resort on the North Sea, on the northwest coast of Walcheren in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Veere, and lies about 11 km northwest of the city of Middelburg, the provincial capital.-Demographics:...
(1223) - KortgeneKortgeneKortgene is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Noord-Beveland, and lies about 15 km northeast of Middelburg.Kortgene received city rights in 1431...
(1431) - Sint MaartensdijkSint MaartensdijkSint-Maartensdijk is a town in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Tholen, and lies about 16 km west of Bergen op Zoom.Sint-Maartensdijk was a separate municipality until 1971, when it was merged with Tholen....
(1491) - WestkapelleWestkapelleWestkapelle can refer to:* Westkapelle - a place in the municipality of Knokke-Heist in Belgium* Westkapelle - a place in the municipality of Veere in the Netherlands...
(1223)